Trolley-pole controller for electric cars.



Patented Nov. 28, 1.916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

c. v. GREENAMYEH. TROLLEY POLE CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC CARS.

APPUCATION FILED MAR. 6. 1916.

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C. V. GREENANYER.

TROLLEY POLE CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC CARS.

APPUCATION FILED MAR. 6, 1916.

Patented Nov. 28,1916. Y

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATE@ PATENT CFFCE.

CLARENCE V. GREENAMYER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNA, ASSIGNOR OF UNE-HALF TO JOSEPH MCMILLAN, 0F GLENIDALE, CALIFORNIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Application filed March 6, 1916. Serial No. 82,364.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CLARENCE V. GREENA- MUR, a citizen of the United States, resid,- ing at the city of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Pole Controllers for Electric Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for controlling by air pressure the position of the trolley pole on an electric car driven by current supplied by an overhead feed wire and the object thereof is to provide a simple and efficient device operated by air pressure alone that will maintain the trolley wheel in Contact with the feed wire and will lower the trolley wheel below the span wires when the wheel accidentally leaves the feed wire while running.

A further object is to provide a lock that will prevent the pole from turning when the wheel leaves the wire.

In the drawings forming a part of this application: Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the base of a controller of preferred construction equipped with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a top plan partly in section of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the car roof being omitted. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of the front end of the cylinder and the air piston and parts connected thereto. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section of a modified form of controller. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail of the rear end of the air cylinder and parts connectedthereto. y

In the drawings 10 is the spindle or trolley base plate which is secured upon the top 11 of the car. A base swivel 12 provided with upwardly and rearwardly projecting arms 13 and 14 is pivotally connected yby the hollow swivel pin y15 with the base plate 10. Pin 15 is connected by pipe 16 with the compressed air reservoir 16, showny diagrammatically, which furnishes air to operate the brakes.l rlhe construction and connection of parts thus far described are substantially like those described in U. S. Letters Patent 7 82,195. y An .air cylinder l17 is pivotally mounted in the outer ends of arms 13 and 14 by hollowbolts 18 and 19. These bolts pass through arms 13 and 14 in screwthreaded engagement and are smooth where they pass into ybosses 20 on the sides of the cylinder 17. Bolt 18 is connected by pipe .2On to pin 15. Extending from the inner end of bolt 18 is a channel 21 in the walls of cylinder 17 which opens into the front end of the cylinder. Within cylinder 17 is a piston 22 which is connected to stem 23 by bolt 24. lStem 23 is pivotally connected to arm 25 secured upon thel trolley pole base socket 26 in which socket is mounted the trolley pole 27. Socket 26 is bifurcated and is pivotally secured to swivel base 12 by bolt 28. The furcated arms 29 of socket 26 project downwardly and rearwardly of bolt 28 and are connected by side rods 30 with yoke 31. Rigidly connected to swivel base 12 is rod 32 on which rod is mounted balancing spring 33. This spring balances the weight ofthe trolley pole. The outer end or head 35 of bolt 24 tapers inwardly forming a valve seat and is provided with a number of transverse channels 36. rlhese transverse channels are connected' by a longitudinal channel 37 with a transverse channel 38 near the rear end which extends from channel 37 and connects it with chan nel 39 in the follower ring of the piston. The hole in the follower ring is larger than bolt 24. to form an air chamber around the bolt so that air canreach channel 38 if channel 39 is out of register. Slidably mounted upon the outer end ofbolt 24 is valve 40 which normally is held seated by spring 41 to close channels 36. Valve 40 and its seat are preferably on a ten degree angle and are ground. A diaphragm 42 is secured to valve 40 and to piston 22. Piston 22 is recessed at 43 to chamber the inner end of valve 40 and Aspring 41 when the valve is unseated as hereafter explained. The inner end of this recess is connected by channel 44 in bolt 24 with atmosphere in the hollow piston stem. Extending from the inner end of bolt 19 is a channel 45 in the walls of cylinder 17 which opens into the rear end of the cylinder. The channel in bolt 19 is connected by pipe 46 with piston chamber 47 mounted on the side of the swively base. In this chamber is a piston 48 which carries a locking bolt 49 that projects downwardly through the bottom of the chamber. Around this locking bolt is coiled spring 50 which normally holds piston 48 in the lupper end of chamber 47 and prevents bolt 49 from engaging any of the notches 51 in the kbase plate 10. There are preferably two of these should the trolley notches, one at each side of the bolt 49. A relief valve 72 is mounted in the outer end of cylinder 17 as specified in Patent 7 82,195 for the purposes specified in said patent.

In the operation of my controller the air is turned into the inner end of cylinder 17 thereby forcing the piston toward the outer end and causing thc free end of the trolley pole to rise and carry the trolley wheel into engagement with the feedV wire. New, wheel accidentally leave the feed wire when the car is running the piston in cylinderv 17 moves quickly toward the outerl end thereof. This quick movement causes the relief valve to close and the air is trapped in the outer end of the cylinder thereby bringing a pressi'ne upon diaphragm 42 which then moves toward the piston7 carrying with it valve 40. The air in the front end of the cylinder then rushes through channels 39', 38, 37 and 36 into the outer end of cylinder 17 and puts the same air pressure on" the outer face of piston 22 as there is on the inner face of the piston. As only a small portion of the inner face of the piston is'subject to air pressure and the whole of. the outer face istlien subject to air pressure the piston is quickly driven back to the front end of cylinder 17 thereby bringing the free end of the trolley pole below the span wires where it is held until the air pressure is released by emptying cylinder 17 of its compressed air. YVhen the compressed air pressure is released inthe cylinder spring 41 returns valve 40 to its seat and when the compressed air is again turned on valve 40 prevents the compressed air from reaching the outer end of cylinder 17 In the first entry of compressed air into the outer end of cylinder 17 a portion thereof will pass into chamber 47 and force piston 4S to carry bolt 49 into a notch 51 thereby preventing the trolley from rotating on its base plate. The releasing of compressed air pressure in cylinder 17 also releases the pressure in chamber 47.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the air is led into the'air cylinder 17 in the same manner. Piston 52 has no opening therethrough. In the outer head 58 of cylinder 1'." 'is an opening'or port 53a in which is screwed a hollow nut 54 which is held positionedby a lock nut 55. A hollow casing 56 is connected by pin 57 to the Youter head 53, of cylinder 17. A pipe 59 connects casing 56 with theY front end of the cylinder 17 A tubular stein 6G having a tapered head 61 passes through nut 54 and screws into casing 56.- HeadY V61 tapers rearwardly preferably on aI ten degree angle and has a number of `transverse channels 62 passing therethrough. These channels open at the center into a longitudinal channel 63 in stem 60,- which channel opens .into casing 56. A valve 64 is slidably mounted on stem 60 and is normally held by spring 65 to close channels 62. A

diaphragm 66 is connected to valve 64 and to head 53. Ay gasket 67 makes a tight oint between the rear head and the body of cylinf der 17 Bolts 69 hold the head positioned on the body. A channel 70 through the head connectsv the space between the diaphragm and the head with atmosphere. A' relief valve 71 permits air to flow into and out of cylinder 17 under working conditions. A base lock of the same kind as in the preferred form is provided. In this form when the trolley wheel accidentally leaves the feed wire when the car is running `thepiston suddenly and quickly moves toward the rear end of the cylinder 17. rIhe initialv movement closes the relief valve, sets the lock as in the preferred form and drives valve 64v to unclose channels 62. The air then rushes from the front end into the rear end of cylinder 17 Asvpiston 52 has its whole area on the rear side subject to the compressed air pressure and but a small ring on the other side subject to compressed air pressure the free end of the trolley pole is quickly brought bev,low the spa-n wires and held there until the air pressure is released.

Having described my invention what I claim is: Y

1. In a trolley pole controller the combination of a trolley pole; a compressed Vair reservoir; with an air cylinder having a piston operatively connected with the trolley'pole, said 'cylinder being in communication with said reservoir at Vthe lfront only Vof said cylinder and having its rear end closed; a passage way connecting the ends of the cylinder; a; valve on said passageway normally closing the same; and means to open the valve on 'the passage way between Vthe front and rear ends of the air cylinder when the trolley wheel accidentally leaves the feed Wire.

2. In a trolley' pole controller the combination of a compressed air reservoir; an air cylinder 'pivotally connected to a support; a piston in said air cylinder; a channel connecting said air cylinder at the front end thereof with said reservior; a trolley pole pivotally connected to said air cylinder support; astem connected to the front side of said piston and pivotally connected to said trolley pole; means carried vby said piston to open communication through the `piston between the two ends of the air cylinder when the trolley wheel accidentally leaves the feed wire when the car is running.

3. VIn a trolley pole controller the combination of a compressed air reservoir; an air to normally hold said valve positioned; a diaphragm secured to said valve Vand to the piston, said piston having a channel therein opening at one end to atmosphere and at the other end to the space between the piston and diaphragm said last named channel being in the bolt connecting the piston t0 its stem.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I 2) have hereunto subscribed my name.

CLARENCE V. GREENAMYER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

